Please introduce yourself, what you do, why you do it, and what you want people to know about you.
My name is Robert Leckington. I am an up-and-coming actor based in New York City and live in Northern New Jersey.
Originally born and raised in Oregon, I have been a drummer all of my life and have been an actor and a writer for over a decade working on several projects that not only help me but my friends as well when it comes to pitching ideas for not only their films but mine as well.
I love being an actor because of the opportunity to be creative. It gives me the chance to open up and be someone completely different. To learn about people and to portray qualities I may not be able to in my own everyday life.
If there was one thing that I’d love for people to know it’s that I am especially passionate about helping others achieve the things that they struggle with.
In the case of one friend, I want to help him become a better actor. I am available to read scenes with him when he needs someone to work with. We can also work out blocking the scene (or how an actor moves, what his action is, within the scene).
It’s the same with everyone I am in contact with.
You need help, I am there! I like to help others.
What qualities make you different and unique from everyone else in the industry?
I have a down-to-earth sensibility when it comes to bringing a part to life, I have no preconceived ideas when I work on a new character.
If there is no character breakdown, I make one up. That’s the best part I think, building a character from nothing.
I think what makes me stand out more is the fact that my type is wide-ranging.
Not only can I play a doctor, but I could turn around and play a decorated war hero in one scene and then an undercover cop, or homeless man in another. I’ve auditioned for comedic roles too though. I’m not all dramatic, you know.
Not too many beginning actors have that ability since the industry tries to pigeonhole them into one specific type. Sure, they could and do it with me, but I’ve been fortunate to be cast in a few projects as a wide range of different characters.
Describe THAT moment when you realized you wanted to do what you do now. Who did you tell first? What has it been like since that moment?
I was a late bloomer to the HBO series “Entourage”.
When it was on-air, I think I was a couple of episodes into the third season and it just clicked.
The way the actors were able to bring about their buddy-buddy thing, the fact that it looked fun on screen, I wanted to see what it could be like. It was sort of a transformation in that being on the East Coast and away from my musical friends on the West Coast, I needed a new creative outlet.
The show seemed cool, it was a lifestyle thing that just switched on for me. So I answered an ad for background actors and it just progressed from there.
I have done a mix of background work and principal work for a long time.
I am grateful for those opportunities.
What has been the biggest challenge you’ve had to face and how did you overcome it?
Learning lines. I still struggle with learning lines, but it is much easier these days due to the fact that I am reading more and more.
I was never into books growing up, but it definitely helps to learn lines when you’re always seeing words.
Your brain just “latches on” to them and then you’re able to reference them a lot quicker if that makes sense.
If you had to pick the TOP 3 people you’d want to meet that could take your career (or business) to the next level…who would those 3 people be?
Tony Robbins! That dude has been an amazing force for helping people get past any blocking they may feel is keeping them from getting ahead in life. I love self-hope stories and ideas.
Marlon Brando. I’d love to learn how he was able to just converse with someone off-camera and then just flip his brain in a 180 and enter a scene as if nothing was easier, when the director yells, “ACTION!” Marlon Brando was tough!
A casting director that has enough pull to catapult me into a role that I can sink my teeth into. By that I mean, I just need a shot to show the world that I am here and I am an amazing artist.
It all comes down to a director or producer’s vision on what they want for whatever they are working on, but a casting director has the ability to convince them that a character actor like me can play the part well. Is that too cheeky sounding?
Follow Robert Leckington on his social media platforms below:
- Twitter: http://twitter.com/MrLeckington
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/RobertBLeck1
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/RobertBLeck1